College News
The Archaeopteryx display
Geology Visit to Cardiff
16th January 2012
Geology students recently visited the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff as part of their A2 course.
They were able to see an actual specimen of Archaeopteryx (“ancient wing”), one of the most famous fossils of all time, on display in the UK for the first time. This fossil is particularly fascinating as it is part bird and part reptile and shows the evolution of birds from their dinosaur ancestors. Students were given a special lecture by the palaeontologist in charge, explaining the unique circumstances which preserved the feathers and bones of these animals for over 100 million years.
Archaeopteryx: Berlin Specimen -the best preserved of all the Archaeopteryx
Archaeopteryx: Phantom Specimen - the original on display in Cardiff In addition the students were able to look around the exhibition “The Evolution of Wales” and were shown behind the scenes of the museum to gain a valuable insight into the day to day work of Earth Scientists.
All in all an excellent and educational day out was had by all!
Daniel Newton, Head of Geology